FAQ's

General

5min

What is a helpline?
Helplines, also known as hotlines or crisis call centres, are a category of mental health and behavioral health service. They are a free and accessible way for people to get immediate help with thoughts of suicide, abusive situations, and other crises.
Helplines are proven to measurably reduce suicidal ideation in those contacting them, and are best practice for suicide and crisis prevention, as recommended by the World Health Organization.
ThroughLine defines a helpline as a service that provides:
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This definition is further explained in the table below:
Free
No cost to user. Standard phone charges may apply.
On-demand
Available immediately, without appointment. Queues and wait times may apply.
Anonymous & Confidential
Anonymous: Users are not required to, but may willingly, disclose personal information at their discretion, provided that such information is kept confidential. Online chats that require an email address or phone number to access the service qualify, as long as they are confidential.

Confidential: Information provided by the user may be used:
(a) for the purpose of providing the service to the user
(b) as necessary for the purpose of improving the service for users
(c) to alert emergency responders when someone is at immediate risk of harm, if legally required or helpline policy.
Emotional support
Provides understanding, non-judgmental listening and relevant information.
From a human
A human volunteer, counselor or peer, not a chatbot or automated system.
For crisis
Overwhelming psychological distress. i.e. Suicidal thoughts, Anxiety, Trauma & PTSD
Distressing situation or experience. Domestic violence, Sexual Assault
How does ThroughLine qualify helplines for inclusion?
We developed a 9-point scoring system to assess if a service is a legitimate and active helpline. All potential services must pass at least stage 7 of this scoring system to be included. Further information on our qualification criteria is available upon request.
How does ThroughLine maintain the accuracy of its helpline data?
ThroughLine maintains helpline dataset health through three processes: verification, validation, and dataset audits and maintenance.
Verification
We source helpline information directly from helpline providers. We repeat this regularly to ensure we have the latest information.
Validation
We check selected URLs, phone, and SMS numbers to ensure they are valid and operational.
Audits & maintenance
We audit countries, topics and data points for accuracy and relevancy. We also perform daily maintenance on the dataset as a result of communication with helplines.
How do you ensure services are effective?
To achieve ThroughLine’s mission of easing emotional crises, we ensure that all services meet certain standards of inclusive care.
Our clinical team has used evidence-backed research to set these standards, and all partners are asked to agree to them as part of our verification process.
These standards are summarised below:
Non-judgemental
Users should feel that their identities, experiences and feelings are valid and will not be met with criticism or judgement.
Respect for autonomy
Users should be actively involved in decisions and have the freedom to choose options that align with their personal values and goals. 
Cultural Competence
Providers should aim to be culturally competent and sensitive to the unique needs and backgrounds of their users.
ThroughLine provides helpline services in over 130 countries. Why do some countries not have helplines?
ThroughLine endeavours to list every active helpline in the world. Unfortunately, some countries do not have helplines. Commonly, there are 3 reasons:
Population size
 Countries with <1 million people may lack the resources to establish helplines. Of countries this size, only 25% have a helpline.
Development
Lesser developed countries often lack the necessary mental health infrastructure, expertise and funding.
Cultural & legal considerations
Cultural and religious factors can influence the acceptance of helplines, as do legal restrictions on suicide in up to 52 countries.﻿
How long does it take to integrate ThroughLine?
Because the web app and widget come with pre-built interfaces, they are very quick to integrate. Depending on your internal processes, we can have you up and running within 48 hours. The API requires engineering expertise, and so takes longer to integrate. The exact length depends on your product needs.
Product
How to integrate
Web app
Simply display your unique web app link in your product
Widget
Select your preferred parameters, copy the code snippet, and embed the snippet into the HTML of a web page.
API
Work with your developer to integrate the API according to your needs.
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Can we only show information for certain topics?
Yes. In the web app, you can refer users to a dedicated topic page (.e.g suicidal thoughts)or a country-specific topic page (e.g. Suicide hotlines in the United States). In the widget, you can pre-set the topics. In the API, you can call only the topics that you need.
I have a technical question or would like to share feedback. Who can I reach out to?
Please refer to our Documentation for any questions related to calling our API. If you need further assistance or want to provide feedback, please email us.﻿
How can I cancel my subscription?
You can cancel your subscription at any time, just reach out to our sales team.
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Free	No cost to user. Standard phone charges may apply.
On-demand	Available immediately, without appointment. Queues and wait times may apply.
Anonymous & Confidential	Anonymous: Users are not required to, but may willingly, disclose personal information at their discretion, provided that such information is kept confidential. Online chats that require an email address or phone number to access the service qualify, as long as they are confidential. Confidential: Information provided by the user may be used: (a) for the purpose of providing the service to the user (b) as necessary for the purpose of improving the service for users (c) to alert emergency responders when someone is at immediate risk of harm, if legally required or helpline policy.
Emotional support	Provides understanding, non-judgmental listening and relevant information.
From a human	A human volunteer, counselor or peer, not a chatbot or automated system.
For crisis	Overwhelming psychological distress. i.e. Suicidal thoughts, Anxiety, Trauma & PTSD Distressing situation or experience. Domestic violence, Sexual Assault

Verification	We source helpline information directly from helpline providers. We repeat this regularly to ensure we have the latest information.
Validation	We check selected URLs, phone, and SMS numbers to ensure they are valid and operational.
Audits & maintenance	We audit countries, topics and data points for accuracy and relevancy. We also perform daily maintenance on the dataset as a result of communication with helplines.

Non-judgemental	Users should feel that their identities, experiences and feelings are valid and will not be met with criticism or judgement.
Respect for autonomy	Users should be actively involved in decisions and have the freedom to choose options that align with their personal values and goals.
Cultural Competence	Providers should aim to be culturally competent and sensitive to the unique needs and backgrounds of their users.

Population size	Countries with <1 million people may lack the resources to establish helplines. Of countries this size, only 25% have a helpline.
Development	Lesser developed countries often lack the necessary mental health infrastructure, expertise and funding.
Cultural & legal considerations	Cultural and religious factors can influence the acceptance of helplines, as do legal restrictions on suicide in up to 52 countries.

Product	How to integrate
Web app	Simply display your unique web app link in your product
Widget	Select your preferred parameters, copy the code snippet, and embed the snippet into the HTML of a web page.
API	Work with your developer to integrate the API according to your needs.

Updated 22 May 2024

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